We should anticipate a big year from Mattel as, between the two chains, they listed almost twice as many items as their chief competitor, Hasbro, and four more than Spin Master.
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Target and Wal-Mart have released their 2019 hot toy lists. As I did last year, to better understand toy industry dynamics for the coming holiday season., I reverse engineered both lists. You can find the two listings with current retails at the end of this article.
Wal-Mart stretches the meaning of toy
Wal-Mart included eight adult products in its list of hot toys, thus expanding the notion of who wants to play to include tweens, teens, and adults. The Wal-Mart list consists of serious, adult-oriented products like a HP Gaming Laptop ($749.99), a set of Razer Kraken Head Phones ($59.99), a Hover-1 Maverick Hoverboard ($114.00), a Razer Cynosa Keyboard ($35.95), a Microsoft X-Box 1 ($299.99), a Nintendo Switch ($294.49), a Hover-1 All-Star Go Kart Combo ($198.00), and a Hover-1 Electric Folding Scooter ($148.00).
Target stayed primarily with its child consumer base and targeted adults with only three products: A $299 scooter, a $299 Nintendo Switch, and a $149 hoverboard).
I like what Wal-Mart is doing as it not only expands the marketplace for toys, but it increases the price points, both of which should result in higher gross revenues for the retailer.
This year's market basket price is higher
Last year I calculated the market basket price for the Wal-Mart and Target hot toy lists. In doing so, I wanted to see what the average price was if one were to purchase all of the items featured. As can be seen below, the average price for both lists has increased. I think this shows two things: Both retailers are betting on a good Christmas, and both think the consumers are willing to pay more for play.
2018 2019
Wal-Mart $77.90 $82.50
Target $65.43 $72.96
The year's lists are more differentiated
I found it interesting that this year's lists contained only two items that showed up on both lists: The Nintendo Switch and Spin Master's Owleez. It appears both chains steered well around the other's choices.
Mattel dominates the listings
We should anticipate a big year from Mattel as, between the two chains, they listed almost twice as many items as their chief competitor, Hasbro, and four more than Spin Master. I was surprised that Lego had no listings. Here is a list of the companies listed and the breakout by retailer:
MATTEL 13 (8 Target 5 / Walmart)
SPIN MASTER 9 (5 Walmart / 4 Target)
Hasbro 7 (5 Walmart. / 2 Target)
MGA 7 (7 Walmart)
JAKKS 3 (3 Walmart)
HOVER 1 3 (3 Walmart)
MOOSE 6 (4 Walmart / 2 Target)
ADVENTURE FORCE 2 (2 Walmart)
DYNACRAFT 2 (2 Walmart)
JAZWARES 2 (1 Walmart / 1Target)
JUST PLAY 2 (1Walmart / 1 Target)
NINTENDO 2 (Walmart / Target)
RAZER 2 (2 Walmart)
VTECH 2 (2 Walmart)
The following companies had 1 each:
Animal Planet (Target)
Blip Toys (Walmart)
Buffalo Games (Target)
Build-A-Bear (Walmart)
Capsule Chix (Walmart)
Cry Babies (Walmart)
Goliath (Walmart)
Hewlitt Packard (Walmart)
Jets On (Target)
Microsoft (Walmart)
Monster Jam (Walmart)
Our Generation (Target)
Poopsie Slime Surprise! (Target)
Ryans World (Target)
Skyrocket (Walmart)
Snapstar (Target)
Viro Rides (Target)
Wicked Cool Toys (Walmart)
Wow Stuff! (Walmart)
WALMART
| WALMART | Adventure Force V-Twin Gatling Belt Dart Blaster | ADVENTURE FORCE | $29.97 |
| WALMART | Nascar Adventure Force Crash Racers | ADVENTURE FORCE | $29.97 |
| WALMART | Tic Tac Toy XOXO FRIENDS MULTIPACK | BLIP TOYS | $16.99 |
| WALMART | Build-A-Bear Stuffing Station | BUILD A BEAR | $25.00 |
| WALMART | Realtree 24 Volt UTV ride On | DYNACRAFT | $398.00 |
| WALMART | Simba 6 Volt Cub Plush Ride-on | DYNACRAFT | $149.99 |
| WALMART | Banana Blast | GOLIATH | $14.88 |
| WALMART | FurReal Cubby | HASBRO | $77.00 |
| WALMART | Nerf N-Strike Elite Toy Blaster | HASBRO | $34.88 |
| WALMART | Nerf Rival Blaster Jupiter | HASBRO | $49.97 |
| WALMART | Sesame Street Love to Hug Elmo | HASBRO | $22.88 |
| WALMART | Spider-Man Super Web Slinger | HASBRO | $14.99 |
| WALMART | Hover -1 Maverick Hoverboard | HOVER 1 | 114 |
| WALMART | Hover 1 Electric Scooter | HOVER 1 | $148.00 |
| WALMART | Hover-1 All Star & Go-Kart Combo | HOVER 1 | $198.00 |
| WALMART | HP Pavillion Gaming Laptop | HP | 749.99 |
| WALMART | Disney Frozen Elsa's Enchanged Ice Interactive | JAKKS | $59.00 |
| WALMART | Disney Frozen 2 Ultimate Castle | JAKKS | $199.00 |
| WALMART | X-Treme Power Dozer | JAKKS | 49.97 |
| WALMART | Peppa Pig Magical Parade Float | JAZWARES | 34.82 |
| WALMART | PJ Masks PJ Seeker | JUST PLAY | $48.88 |
| WALMART | Barbie Cake Decorating Set | MATTEL | $23.88 |
| WALMART | Barbie Dream Plane | Mattel | $59.00 |
| WALMART | Fisher Price Bounce and Spin Intearctive Puppy | MATTEL | $54.00 |
| WALMART | Imaginext DC Super Friends Batmobile | MATTEL | $69.00 |
| WALMART | Recsue Heroes Fire Truck | MATTEL | $39.82 |
| WALMART | In Ur Head Whats In my Purse | MGA | $8.99 |
| WALMART | LOL Surprise 2 in 1 Glamper | MGA | $99.88 |
| WALMART | LOL Surprise OMG Lady Diva | MGA | $54.88 |
| WALMART | LOL Surprise OMG Neonlicious Fashion Doll | MGA | $26.88 |
| WALMART | POOPSIE Rainbow Surprise Doll | MGA | 49.94 |
| WALMART | What's In My Purse Surprise Miss Pawsitive Doll | MGA | $19.94 |
| WALMART | What's In My Purse Surprise Pinkie Swear Doll | MGA | $36.99 |
| WALMART | X Box One S 1TB | MICROSOFT | $299.99 |
| WALMART | Monster Jam MEGA Grave Digger | MONSTER JAM | $99.99 |
| WALMART | Kindi Kids Snack Time Friends | MOOSE | $24.84 |
| WALMART | Pikmi Pops Cheeki Puffs | MOOSE | 9.78 |
| WALMART | Really Rad Robots | MOOSE | $43.88 |
| WALMART | Treasure X Alien Hunters | MOOSE | $12.93 |
| WALMART | Nintendo Swithc | NINTENDO | $294.49 |
| WALMART | Razer Cynosa Chroma Key Board | RAZER | $35.95 |
| WALMART | Razer Kraken Headphones | RAZER | $59.99 |
| WALMART | BluMe Doll | SKYROCKET | $9.88 |
| WALMART | Cool Maker Nail Stamper | SPIN MASTER | $18.82 |
| WALMART | Dreamworks Harching Baby Dragon | SPIN MASTER | 48.88 |
| WALMART | Owleez | SPIN MASTER | $38.82 |
| WALMART | Paw Patrol Mighty Pups | SPIN MASTER | $78.00 |
| WALMART | Wildluvs Jun My Baby Elecphant | SPIN MASTER | $77.00 |
| WALMART | Mix & March A Saurus | V-Tech | $29.82 |
| WALMART | V-Tech Unicorn | V-TECH | $48.82 |
| WALMART | Blinger Hair & Fashion Styling | WICKED COOL TOYS | $19.88 |
| WALMART | Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak | WOWSTUFF | $59.00 |
TARGET
| TARGET | Extreme T-Rex Adventure Playset | Animal Planet | $39.99 |
| TARGET | Classic Pinball Board Game | Buffalo Games | $37.99 |
| TARGET | Ultimix Pack | Capsule Chix | $49.99 |
| TARGET | Interactive Baby Doll | Cry Babies | $49.99 |
| TARGET | Burst Turbo Championship Clash Battle Set | Hasbro | $79.99 |
| TARGET | Avengers Titan Hero Series | Hasbro | $9.99 |
| TARGET | Jumbo Loot Llama Piñata | JazWares | $70.99 |
| TARGET | Strike Hoverboard | Jetson | $149.99 |
| TARGET | PJ Seeker | Just Play | $59.99 |
| TARGET | RockIt Twist | LeapFrog | $49.99 |
| TARGET | Barbie Malibu House | Mattel | $99.99 |
| TARGET | Colossal Crash Track Set | Mattel | $99.99 |
| TARGET | Linkimals Sloth | Mattel | $29.99 |
| TARGET | Pictionary Air | Mattel | $19.99 |
| TARGET | Linkimals Musical Moose | Mattel | $9.99 |
| TARGET | Linkimals A to Z Otter | Mattel | $19.99 |
| TARGET | Linkimals Happy Shapes Hedgehog | Mattel | $24.99 |
| TARGET | Linkimals Lights and Colors Llama | Mattel | $14.99 |
| TARGET | Turbo Bot | Moose | $49.99 |
| TARGET | Pink Scruff-a-Luvs Real Rescue | Moose | $39.99 |
| TARGET | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo | $299.99 |
| TARGET | Movie Theater Playset | Our Generation | $149.99 |
| TARGET | Rainbow Surprise Slime Kit | Poopsie Slime Surpise! | $69.99 |
| TARGET | Mega Mystery Treasure Chest | Ryan's World | $79.99 |
| TARGET | Echo's Debut on the Pink Carpet | Snapstar | $24.99 |
| TARGET | Mega Grave Digger RC | Spin Master | $99.99 |
| TARGET | Super Mighty Pups Lookout Tower | Spin Master | $79.99 |
| TARGET | Go Glam Nail Nail Stamper Kit | Spin Master | $24.99 |
| TARGET | Owleez | Spin Master | $49.99 |
| TARGET | Viro 2-in-1 Scooter | Viro Rides | $299.99 |
